Is pear better than apple and why?

Image courtesy: http://www.alli.co.uk

Abdominal obesity, colloquially known as belly fat or clinically as central obesity, is the accumulation of abdominal fat resulting in an increase in waist size. There is a strong correlation between central obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Visceral fat, also known as organ fat or intra-abdominal fat, is located inside the peritoneal cavity, packed in between internal organs and torso, as opposed to subcutaneous fat‚ which is found underneath the skin, and intramuscular fat‚ which is found interspersed inskeletal muscle. Visceral fat is composed of several adipose depots including mesenteric, epididymal white adipose tissue (EWAT) and perirenal fat. An excess of visceral fat is known as central obesity, the "pot belly" or "beer belly" effect, in which the abdomen protrudes excessively. This body type is also known as "apple shaped‚" as opposed to "pear shaped‚" in which fat is deposited on the hips and buttocks.

While central obesity can be obvious just by looking at the naked body, the severity of central obesity is determined by taking waist and hip measurements. The absolute waist circumference (>102 centimetres (40 in) in men and >88 centimetres (35 in) in women) and the waist-hip ratio (>0.9 for men and >0.85 for women) are both used as measures of central obesity. 

Is Body Volume Index a better measure of obesity than Body Mass Index?

Watch this video from the 2 minute - very intersting evolving concept and  BVI could be the future of obesity risk scale, which is slated to replace BMI in 2020!

But we are still using Pounds and inches!! May be not...

You know BMI now learn about BVI!!

BVI: Body volume Index

The Body Volume Index (BVI) is a new measurement for human obesity that has been proposed as an alternative to the Body Mass Index (BMI).

8 women with the same BMI rating (BMI - 30) but with different weight distribution and abdominal volume, so they have different BVI ratings

BMI is based on a measurement of total mass, irrespective of the location of the mass, but BVI looks at the relationship between mass and volume distribution (i.e. where the body mass is located on the body).

The Body Volume Index (BVI) was originally devised in February 2000 as a new computer-based measurement for measuring obesity; an alternative to the Body Mass Index (BMI) which was originally conceived between 1830 and 1850 

BMI is based on height and weight only, but the new BVI system automatically measures BMI, waist circumference and waist-hip ratio in addition to highly sophisticated volumetric and body composition analysis.

BVI is an application that can be used on a 3D Full Body Scanner to determine individual health risk, whether the scanning hardware uses visible light optical information or otherwise. BVI allows for differentiation between people who are assigned the same BMI rating, but who have a different body shape and weight distribution, so that their individual BMI rating may not accurately reflect their own risk.

Courtesy: Wikipedia

BVI has undergone clinical trials in the U.S. and Europe as part of a three year collaborative project, the Body Benchmark Study.

Watch your Waist - not just Weight - a tight belt is NOT enough

Excess weight as measured by BMI is not the only risk to your health. Where excess fat is located on your body may be another risk. If you carry fat mainly around your waist, you are more likely to develop health problems than if you carry fat mainly in your hips and thighs. 


This is true even if your BMI falls within the normal range. Women with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches or men with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches may have a higher disease risk than people with smaller waist measurements because of where their fat lies.

To measure your waist circumference, place a tape measure around your bare abdomen just above your hip bone. Be sure that the tape is snug (but does not compress your skin) and that it is parallel to the floor. Relax, exhale, and measure your waist.

Source:Weight-control Information Network

Image courtesy: International chair of cardiometabolic risk